Photographs of Shipboard Life (continued)

SHIPBOARD LIFE PHOTOGRAPHS (continued) This is a Series of Photographs of life aboard the USS Indiana
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HOW TO BECOME A SHELLBACK

Three Crossing the Equator Initiation Ceremonies (Polliwogs to Shellback) were held on the Indiana.
The first was held on 17 November 1942 at Tongatabu Harbor in the Fiji Islands. His Honor Davy Jones and Court came aboard. Dressed in his official uniform, he was welcomed aboard by Captain A.S. Merrill. Davy Jones announced he would hold court. and would meter out appropriate justice to all who received subpoenas. Subpoenas were issued to landlubbers, beach combers, plow deserters, draft dodgers, park bench warmers, polar dunnigans, sea lawyers, lounge lawyers, lounge lizards, hay tossers, chit signers, sand crabs, four flushers, squaw men, and liberty hounds all falsely masquerading as seaman. King Neptune then assumed command! Initiation of all Polliwogs started.
The second was held on 26 October 1943 underway between Pearl Harbor and Tongatabu Harbor in the Fiji Islands.
The third was held on 23 September 1944 at Seeadler Harbor, Manus in the Admiralty Islands.

Davy Jones and Court, Taken USS Indiana 17 November 1942

Davy Jones and Court, Taken USS Indiana 26 October 1943

Davy Jones presiding, Taken USS Indiana 17 November 1942

Davy Jones and initating crew, Taken USS Indiana 17 November 1942

Davy Jones and initating crew, Taken USS Indiana 26 October 1943

Polliwogs on their knees, Taken USS Indiana 17 November 1942

A royal dunking, Taken USS Indiana 17 November 1942

This way to the gauntlet, Taken USS Indiana 17 November 1942

Running the gauntlet, Taken USS Indiana 17 November 1942

Exiting the gauntlet, Taken USS Indiana 17 November 1942

More of the deluge, Taken USS Indiana 17 November 1942

Out of the gauntlet, Taken USS Indiana 17 November 1942

ATHLETICS

Athletics consisted of various sports, baseball being a favorite. One sport in which the men excelled was boxing. Indiana’s boxing team took on all comers and in three years of fleet competition faced 44 opposing ship and shore station teams in boxing smokers. Of this number, Indiana’s boxers won 43 matches. Perhaps Indiana’s greatest boxer was New Jersey native Frank D’Antico at 140 pounds who took the professional name of Frankie Duane. His amateur career as a civilian earned him a record of 76 wins and only 2 losses. His professional carrier was even more impressive: 89 wins and 2 losses. While in the U. S. Navy, Frank fought at Honolulu and Neumea and on the fantails of many navy ships. He won 39 fights and lost the last one by decision to Rodrequez of the USS Alabama. Mike Sauers, 160 pounds, was another standby of Indiana’s boxing team, with a record of 8-3 and 1. Aggressive and fast "Punchy" Cameron at 146 pounds had a record of 27-3 and 3 for the Indiana team. Welterweight Tony Galindo, had an impressive 9 and 0 record while on Indiana as did another welterweight, Charlie Brooks, with a 29-2 and 3 record. One of Indiana’s heavyweight, "Snowy" Sosnowski at 176 pounds had 27 wins, 5 losses and 3 draws. Leonard Konabroski was another heavyweight. He was a Golden Gloves Champ on the east coast before the war. He boxed for six years and fought 138 bouts with 134 wins and 4 losses. Frankie Shudak at 150 pounds put together a record of 16 and 1. These are only a handful of the Indiana’s boxers.

Baseball Team 1943-1944 taken in Majuro Atoll, July 1944

Undefeated USS Indiana Boxing Team, Taken USS Indiana 1943

Boxing Team, Pacific Crew's Champions 1942-1945, Taken USS Indiana 1945

Boxing Team, Taken USS Indiana 25 June 1943

Part of Boxing Team, Taken Hawaii 1943

Boxing Team, Taken USS Indiana 1944

Boxing Team, Taken USS Indiana 1945

Battle Royal, Taken USS Indiana 1943

Boxing Match, Alabama vs. Indiana "A", Taken USS Indiana 1945

Boxing Match, Alabama vs. Indiana "B", Taken USS Indiana 1945

Boxing Match, Alabama vs. Indiana "C", Taken USS Indiana 1945

Leonard W. Konabroski in a bout in which he beat a USS Washington boxer USS Indiana 1943

Boxing Match, Taken USS Indiana 1944

Boxing Match, Taken USS Indiana 1945

Boxing, Grudge Fight, Taken USS Indiana 1945

Playing volleyball with medicine ball on fantail, Taken USS Indiana 1944